Calm after the storm: flood warnings lifted as forecasters predict better weather for London

Downpour: traffic drives through a flooded road in New Cross, south east London (Picture: PA)

London is set to enjoy improved weather conditions this weekend after flash floods damaged houses and left cars submerged last night, forecasters have said.

Heavy rain and thunderstorms caused disruption in south east London yesterday as up to a third of a month's rain fell inside a few hours.

As a result of the sudden rainfall, which London Fire Brigade (LFB) described as "biblical" on Twitter, the service said it had been called out to around 20 separate flooding-related incidents in a little over an hour.

Heavy rain: a London bus travels down a road flooded with water in New Cross, south east London (Picture: PA)

Most of the incidents were understood to have involved water getting into the basements of properties.

LFB said one person was rescued from a flooded basement flat in Forest Hill, south London, after water "entered via street drains due to heavy rain".

But the weather front had shifted towards the continent early this morning, prompting the Environment Agency to remove dozens of flood warnings.

Paul Knightley, a spokesman for forecaster MeteoGroup, said: "The front that brought those heavy downpours is moving to the continent and for today there will be some thundery showers, mainly from the Yorkshire area to East Anglia but not as heavy as yesterday."

But while the rain may have eased off, warmer weather is still some way from making a return, as Mr Knightley warned: "Saturday looks like a fine day but Sunday will be windy, with gusts of up to 50mph in some places."

Floods: water swamps a road in Lewisham, south east London (Picture: PA)

It comes after the tail-end of Hurricane Bertha caused the wettest 24-hour period of the year last weekend.

Across the UK, the Environment Agency warned immediate action be taken in Sunderland and Whitley Bay, as high North Sea spring tides meant high water levels and flooding was expected between 6am and 6.45am.

Two flood warnings and nine flood alerts, mainly in the North East, remained of the 34 issued yesterday morning.

Environment minister George Eustice said: "Heavy rain can often bring a risk of localised flooding. Information is available from the Environment Agency and emergency services and I urge people to listen to the advice and warnings issued."